Deliverance
by FragilePuzzle
Summary: Mpreg. Mello comes to the SPK, after he supposedly died, of all things, shocking Near and kicking a chain of strange events into action. However, he may find that this experience will make him or break him. DISCONTINUED.
1. Prelude

**A/N: **Oh god. I've been wanting to write a story like this for a hella long time. AND, unlike many other stories of this genre, it shall not be dropped! I shall complete it to the end! Enjoy~

Mpreg fucking rawks your socks. Preggo boys are the bestest… X3

* * *

It seemed like years since the Kira case had been solved, when, in reality, it was only days. Near was lying on his bed, in exactly the same spot he had been the whole time, only staring at the cold gray walls, yet seeming no more interested in them then he seemed in anything else. He had not moved three inches in the last seventy-eight hours…and it seemed as though the remaining SPK members were finally ceasing their relentless attacks every day. They had usually come in three or four times by now, suggesting it might be good to pick up another case and take his mind off of things. Then they would offer him food; tell him he needed to get up. He hadn't even gone to the bathroom for the three days he had been unmoving, not that he really noticed or cared.

Finally, he took a small intake of breath and got up, forcing his sore and stiff body to move. Feet instinctively carried him to the bathroom, his petite hand twisting the doorknob open, the chilly and unfeeling metal sending sparks of ice through his veins. It seemed as though nothing in this building could offer him any warmth or comfort, not even the people. It seemed to be gray and dead, reminding him quite of himself. He could not understand his purpose in this world anymore, not for the life of him. He had no friends; but that was only to be expected…all of the new cases that were popping up seemed mediocre at best, and none seemed to particularly draw his attention, and that crossed out even considering the possibility of wanting to work on one. Not even the SPK paid him much attention, not that they had before, of course. His employees were just that—employees.

After going to the bathroom, his walked over to the sink, each step seeming heavier than the last. Letting the warm water run over his hands, he slowly raised his eyes to the mirror, looking at his reflection. He looked no different than he had at Mello's funeral. Well, if you could call sticking a headstone in the ground a true funeral. They could find no body; of course…he had been burnt to cinders inside of a church. Kiyomi Takada had killed him, using a scrap of the Death Note she had kept in her bra. Light Yagami then killed her, setting the truck on fire, burning both of their corpses, all of the evidence against him burning as well.

Near remembered that Mello's motorcycle had ended up burning as well. Smiling slightly, he remembered back at the orphanage…Mello would always talk about how he was going to drive around on a motorcycle, when he was L. Had he grown up in Near's place, the small boy had no doubt that, if that was what Mello wanted to do when he was L, that was what he would have done. A few sad and lonely tears made their way out of the corner of the albino's eyes, but he only closed them and tried to steady his breathing. Silent tears were the only kind he would ever cry.

Near almost shrieked as he heard the shower curtain open behind him, his gray eyes snapping open instantly. Somebody slapped their hand over his eyes before he had a chance to see who they were, and he could feel cold metal being pressed to the back of his head. The barrel of a gun. The feeling was familiar, Mello had threatened him like this once, but he didn't expect that he would ever feel it again…

Incoherent thoughts ran through Near's head as he heard the rustle of clothing, probably a coat, and a piece of cloth was wrapped over his mouth and nose, keeping his cries stifled. However, Near could still smell…the cloth smelled of leather and chocolate.

Slowly, the hand that was over his eyes was removed, the cold gun barrel at his temple now. Near's eyes widened as he looked at the reflection in the mirror. It wasn't, it couldn't, there was no way in hell that his eyes were not deceiving him.

"Hey, Fluffy," whispered Mello, his eyes meeting Near's own in their reflections. "Why are you crying?"

Near struggled to get out of this stranger's grasp, the gun the man was holding being gently tapped a few times against his temple in warning. There was no way that this could be Mello. No way in hell, no way, no way, no way. Even when whoever this was began to wipe away his slowly dripping tears, pulling off his leather gloves with his teeth so he could gently press his hand to Near's cheek, Near refused to believe that this was Mello. This man…he looked like Mello, he smelled like Mello, even his hand was the same one Near had felt against his cheek many times—though, this time, his touch was not a slap but a gentle caress.

"Hey…you made sure they held a funeral for me, didn't you?" the blonde man asked, his gaze still firmly attached in their reflections. "You knew the graveyard where I wanted to be buried, and the kind of headstone I wanted…but you put 'Mello' on the grave. My name isn't Mello, and I think we both know that."

Near didn't say anything, not that he could, even if he wanted to. The cloth with the overwhelming smell of leather was still tied tightly around his mouth and nose, not allowing him to so much as utter a word. He wondered where this man was going with this insane conversation.

"It's Mihael Keehl."

Near's eyes widened. There had been very few people in the world who knew Mello's true name, those few including Quillish Wammy, L Lawliet, Soichiro Yagami, Kiyomi Takada, Light Yagami…all of who were dead. The only other person who could have known was Matt, and Near had seen Matt's bloodied corpse on the news. Besides the others, there were two other people in the entire world who knew Mello's true name. Himself…and Mello.

Near instantly tried to struggle again, only attempting to get the cloth off of his mouth so he could say something, though he did not know what he would say. Turning around and ignoring the cold metal that was still at his temple, he let down his barriers and buried his face in Mello's chest. Not understand why the tears were continuing to fall out of his eyes, steadier than ever now, his body just shook with repressed sobs. Joy flooded his body, a foreign and unfamiliar feeling. It felt like a weight was being lifted off of his chest as Mello pulled him away slightly.

"Fluffy…" he said, small smile flickering across his face. "You're gonna get my vest all wet…what the hell are you crying for, anyways? You don't even like me…just like I don't like you."

Continuing to cry softly while attempting to get himself to stop the tears, Near looked up at Mello helplessly, making small 'mmph' noises, trying to get Mello to take the gag off. Putting a finger to his lips, Mello leaned down slightly, pulling Near close to his chest as he wrapped his arms around the small boy and undid the gag. It fell to the ground silently, but neither bothered to pick it up.

"M-Mello…Mello is dead…" protested Near, as if talking to the fabric of his reality itself.

It was then that it hit him. He was probably insane, locked up in a mental institution somewhere, banging his head up against the white walls of a padded room while he tried to get out of a straightjacket. Quickly pulling away from Mello, he realized that explanation made a hell of a lot more sense than Mello being alive did.

"Mello is dead and I am insane," he said. "Mello is nothing more than ashes on the floor of a destroyed church, and I am locked away in a mental institution. That is the only logical explanation."

"Fluffy, I'm not dead. You're being stupid…I can prove it to you, you know. If this were all fake, you wouldn't be able to feel anything, right? Like, a dream?"

Near took a step back and closed his eyes, preparing for Mello to hit him, but the impact never came. Instead, he felt a pair of lips against his own. It was…quite a pleasurable dream, if he did say so himself. If he was just locked away in a mental institution somewhere, then there would be no harm in desperately kissing Mello back, only feeding his own delusions. It couldn't be hurting anything when he wrapped his arms around Mello's neck in order to steady his shaking legs. No destruction came when he let out a whimper, feeling sparks of pleasure shoot throughout his body as Mello touched their tongues against each other. The only person he was harming was himself when he let Mello pull him into his arms, bridal-style, and directed him back to his bedroom.

He could feel when Mello set him down on the soft bed, making sure his head was comfortable on the pillow before locking their lips once again. The kiss was gentle and chaste until Near began to open and close his mouth in a rhythm with Mello's, both drinking in each other's taste. If this was a dream, why could Near feel as Mello's hands went to his pajama top, beginning to skillfully undo each button without so much as looking? If he was locked away in the funny farm, why did he let out a small gasp as he felt Mello's hands against the skin of his stomach?

Suddenly, it hit Near. He wasn't far, far away somewhere, locked in an institution. He was right here, in this very moment…Mello wasn't dead. Somehow, for reasons Near's brain could not process through the thick haze of what was going on right now, Mello had survived.

The small boy's trail of thought was cut off as he felt Mello's hands roaming his chest, the sneaky blonde having removed his shirt while he was trying to think. Curious hands explored a small, pale chest, playing with light pink nipples and causing unintentionally lusty moans to slip from Near's lips. The small boy was suddenly scared…he didn't know what was going to happen, or what Mello was planning on doing. For once in his life, he could not predict what the blonde was going to do next. This was a field of expertise that he was not skilled in, and that small thought scared him more than the thought of what Mello was actually going to do.

Near suddenly felt Mello's lips on his chest, kissing the softly rising-and-falling skin, his tongue occasionally darting out to lightly taste what could only be called 'Near.' Bringing his lips to the smaller boy's nipples, pert with anticipation and dizzying arousal, Mello flicked his tongue against one before taking it into his mouth. He began to suck and bite viciously, Near continuing to let out helpless whimpers, his brain still trying to comprehend what was going on, why Mello was here, why he was _doing_ this.

Mello's hands were running up and down Near's bare sides, touching the soft flesh he had longed to lay his hands on for so long. He had no idea what had possessed him to come back to the SPK and do this, but he supposed that nearly being killed made you a lot more rash, now learning that you had to savor each moment like it was your last. All of these years, he had been so worried that Near would reject him completely, because he was only number two, but it didn't seem as if the small boy had many protests.

"M-Mello…" whispered Near, voice cracking as he let out another moan. "W-why are…you…?"

"Sh…let me tell you something…when I thought I was going to die, I was pissed. I was so fucking pissed…" Mello whispered, his voice hoarse and low. "I thought that I would die, never being able to touch you…let me touch you…"

Near didn't understand. He didn't understand anything that was happening. He thought…Mello hated him, just like he told him every day. Back at the orphanage, Mello specifically told him that he hated him, and that he would not even consider touching him with a ten-foot pole. Yet now…Mello seemed so different. His touches were intimate and soft, each one sending shivers up his spine.

"Mello…I st-still do n-not understand…" Near said, his half-lidded eyes slightly blurry. "W-when has Mello…changed h-his feelings a-about me so d-drastically?"

Mello only smirked up at him, beginning to place kisses along his jaw. His hands continued to run along Near's sides as he moved his mouth back down to his chest, kissing Near's swollen nipple before beginning to tease the other one. He bit it roughly; a strangled cry slipping past Near's parted lips. Pulling his mouth back again, he gently licked at it, as if trying to make it feel better or apologize for biting it so hard in the first place. Near arched his back slightly, Mello's warm tongue against his sensitive skin sending shudders up and down his spine, making him want more, his erection already straining against the cotton confines of his baggy pajama pants.

"I-I…M…Mello…"

"Am I the first one?" the blonde asked softly, slipping his hands down to the waistband of the small boy's pants as he watched his so-called rival's face for any sign of reaction. "Has anybody…else…ever touched you like this…Fluffy?"

"It has happened once before…" Near muttered, ashamed as he attempted to pull away from the blonde, turning his head and wriggling a bit. "It was…with Gevanni."

Mello said nothing as he bit his lip, hands clenching the sheets in frustration.

"Gevanni means nothing to me…" said the white-haired boy, reaching up and gently touching Mello's scarred cheek. "Mello…I missed Mello…and I simply desired some form of attention…so I slept with Gevanni. He has not said a word to me since—nothing but things pertaining to the Kira case, to be expected. It was not…very long ago…but it will not happen again. It was…a mistake."

"It's just like you to bring Kira into bed," the blonde joked, voice slightly hurt as he looked at the small boy, yet his eyes signaling that he understood what Near was feeling—he couldn't lie and say that he hadn't let Matt do what he wanted with him a few times. However, the blonde realized how weak Near felt at this moment—he had admitted he made a mistake, after all, so he didn't even feel any self-pity as he was expecting to, instead drawing the small boy closer to him and breathing in the strawberry-hinted scent of his curls, bringing their lips together once again in a tender kiss.

"It doesn't matter," he said quietly, taking Near's hand and guiding it to the zipper of his vest, gesturing for the boy to pull it down. "Whatever he did, I can do better…forget about him."

Near gently tugged down the zipper on the blonde's vest, slipping it off and running his curious hands over the blonde's rippling and tanned muscles, noticing as Mello's nipples grew erected. The other man went to go push him back on to the bed, wanting to make Near submit to him completely, a new burning desire to make the small boy moan and scream overcoming him, but the smaller of the two didn't let him. He sat up slightly, straddling Mello's lap as his hands continued to roam the blonde's chest, stopping at his nipples and beginning to tease them as the blonde had done to him. Feeling Mello's erection grow harder as he did this, Near continued to play with the blonde's body as though it was his newfound favorite toy, bringing his lips to his now slightly swollen nipples, timidly beginning to work his tongue against them.

Mello's soft groans hit his ears only moments before his head hit the pillow, and before he knew it, Near's body was subject to Mello's roaming hands, the blonde easily earning a few whimpers and helpless squirms. Finally, he just couldn't take it anymore, and the blonde yanked off the smaller boy's too-large pants and wrapped a hand around his small cock, beginning to play with the tip as his blue eyes remained fixated on the white-haired boy's usually expressionless face.

"A-Aahhh…!" he moaned softly, pre-cum gently dripping out of his slit as he bucked his hips up and urged Mello on further. "P-Please…!"

The blonde unlaced his pants, his shaky hands fumbling over the complicated laces for a moment before finally managing to get them undone, freeing his erection with a small exhale of relief, glad that it didn't have to be painfully constrained any longer. He held a shaky hand up to Near's mouth, holding out three fingers and pressing them gently against the small boy's pale lips, signaling for him to suck on them. It was obvious that Near knew what he was supposed to do, as he parted his lips and began to swirl his tongue around the digits that tasted of a combination of chocolate, leather, sweat, a small but of pre-cum, and the taste of skin that could only be described as 'Mello.'

After Mello decided that his fingers were slickened enough, he pulled them out of the small boy's mouth and moved them to his tight entrance, slipping two in without warning and causing Near to whimper and wince in discomfort—not quite pain yet, but it was definitely bordering on it.

"Relax…" he said soothingly, beginning to scissor his fingers as he placed a few more kisses on the small boy's chest, gently hoisting Near's legs so they rested on his shoulders. "It'll h-hurt less if you t-try and relax…"

Near let out another sharp exhale of breath as Mello slipped a third finger past his tight entrance, body now begging for the feeling of the blonde buried inside of him.

"N-now…" Near said desperately, eyes clouded over with lust. "P-Please, M-Mello, now…!"

The blonde didn't need to be told again, and he quickly pulled his fingers out and positioned himself at the small boy's entrance instead, locking their lips as he eased himself in. Near let a loud cry tear out of his throat as his nails dug into the back of Mello's neck and his scalp, rolling his hips and urging the blonde in further. He wanted it, craved it, he had wanted Mello all of these years and now he finally had him…he didn't want him to ever leave.

"H-Haaaah!" the small boy cried, face flushing deeply, feeling as Mello began to slowly and evenly thrust, trying his best not to hurt him. When Near pushed back harder against the blonde, it surprised him…he didn't think that Near would be this enthusiastic about it, but it was only all that better for him, a husky groan slipping past his own lips.

"N-Near…" he whispered, stifling another loud groan in the pale boy's neck, rocking his hips and slamming into Near even harder, eliciting another cry from his pale lips. The blonde slowly reached a hand in between them, beginning to pump Near's delicate cock in time with his thrusts, blue eyes threatening to slip close with pleasure. However, Mello refused to let them. He wanted to see the exact moment when Near came, spurting his warm cum all over their stomachs, his face overcome with orgasmic pleasure.

"M-Mello—a-ahhhh!"

Suddenly and without warning, Near came prematurely, inhaling sharply before letting out a loud moan, his pure white cum spilling onto their stomachs and staining the sweat-slickened flesh. However, it was only another thrust before he came again, body shaking as he released for the second time. His hands entangled themselves in Mello's hair, nails digging themselves into his scalp as the small boy tried to deal with the waves of head-spinning pleasure that had crashed into him so suddenly.

"M-Mmmnnnn…!" groaned the blonde, insisting on thrusting into Near a few more times before coming as well, burying his seed deep inside of the panting boy. They didn't move for a few minutes, Mello finally gathering up the strength to pull himself out of Near and lie down on the bed next to the small boy. Slowly, Near moved closer to the blonde, pressing his face against the blonde's quickly-rising-and-falling chest, drifting off to sleep moments later. The blonde did nothing but smile at the white-haired boy, stroking his hair and wondering what the hell he had just done.

And this is where it all began.

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**End Note: **Yay for Mello nicknaming Near 'fluffy' amirite? *shot* Anyways…for once, Near ISN'T a virgin in my story. Maybe Mello'll shoot Gevanni later. AND MAYBE GEVANNI IS THE ONE WHO KNOCKED NEAR UP! *gasp* Read on to find out, of course! : O

~FragilePuzzle


	2. Telltale

**A/N: **Although I believe this chapter is long overdue, I hope you guys didn't think I was going to _abandon_ this story. Like I said, I'm going to FINISH IT TO THE END. And I don't break promises easily. : ) And BTW: This story is no longer on hiatus. It'll be updated as regularly as possible. Thanks for your patience!

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_There was a moment of emptiness; there was a silence on both sides of the phone. The air was still, no feeling in it, reminding Near of the sensation one got when they were in the middle of a tornado. The winds were whipping around him, but he could do nothing about it--they were threatening to sweep him away, to take him from his comfort and safety. He could feel the breeze rustling his hair, the source Gevanni's words._

_"…w-what?"_

_"He's dead" the voice replied, Gevanni's normally-lively tone of voice seeming cold and distant, much more so than could ever be considered normal._

_Near did not reply, he felt as if his heart had stopped beating. After a moment, it suddenly caught up, beginning to beat seven or eight times as fast as usual, causing his chest to feel as though it was vibrating. Or maybe it was that it wasn't beating at all. The small, white-haired boy let out a strangled breath and inhaled again, trying to breathe as normally as he could manage, feeling as though he was suffocating and drowning at the same time. _

_"We found him a week ago. He burned to death in a church, as you already know...Kira's doing, of course. We thought there was hope that he had escaped, but he didn't. The only thing left is his skeleton and his rosary."_

_"…c-completely burnt...?" Near stuttered, trying his best to remain calm despite the situation, not wanting to show his weakness to his subordinate._

_"Yes."_

_"Why…why did Gevanni not tell me sooner?" the petite boy asked, feeling his own body burn up with nausea and sickness, a cold sweat enveloping his figure as his gray eyes traveled the empty room of the SPK headquarters. "I-I thought there was still hope that he had escaped--" _

_"It slipped my mind," Gevanni replied simply "Anyways...I suppose you know now. It wasn't like the funeral—if you could call it that—was really much to miss."_

_"…the funeral? Gevanni…Gevanni did not tell me?" he replied disbelievingly, his feminine voice cracking and breaking. "Gevanni…I…H-how is this possible?"_

_"It was a death. You weren't the only one affected. Not everyone can think of you at a time like this, Near...it's not Wammy's anymore, you're not always number one. Besides, the most important thing at the moment was Kira, not you or Mello. You need to stop thinking about yourself before others." _

_"But…Gevanni said that he loved me, after we—"_

_"Goodbye, Near." _

_The phone clicked and the voice disappeared._

_Near felt the receiver slip out of his fingers and crash to the floor, the sound going unnoticed in his ears, being drowned out by the pounding of blood as the red liquid rushed through his temples. His legs began to shake, as did every other limb he possessed, feeling like he was going to fall down even though he was sitting on the floor. Feeling as if the whole world was spinning around him, feeling as though he too, was being burnt, ripped, stabbed, drowned. He suddenly stood up and ran into the bathroom as fast as his legs would carry him; he leaned over the toilet and violently emptied the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl. He gripped the sides of the plumbing, sweat dripping down his forehead, wiping his mouth on the back of his shirtsleeve. _

_He felt both hot and cold, sweat running down his back from the waves of heat that were overtaking his body, but feeling as though he was trapped in a freezer in the middle of Alaska. He gasped once. Twice. He tried to bite back tears, feeling them stinging the inside of his eyelids, the hot liquid dripping out and staining his cheeks an ugly pink. He made a noise that sounded as though he was being strangled before standing up and walking to the mirror, his gray eyes traveling over his reflection. He looked hideous—like he was half a face, half a person, disfigured, nothing but a shell of what he used to be._

_He let out a desperate scream, one that pierced the otherwise-dead-silence like a spear. He screamed as though it would shatter the glass and destroy that disgusting reflection, he didn't want to see it anymore. He screamed as though screaming could bring Mello back, bring them together again, as though it would break the barrier between the living world and the dead—just enough to let Mello slip through. Just a kiss on the cheek, a hand in his own, a gentle brushing of his neck would calm his tortured screams, his internal rage. But there was nothing to be found. No gentle touch, the touch he loved, he craved for—even the memory of the feeling of their skin anywhere near each other was dead with him. _

_He suddenly screamed louder, grabbing at every bottle and container of toiletries and bathroom supplies that littered the shelves of the bathroom, throwing them, smashing them. The glass and metal and plastic shattered as shampoo and soap stained the walls—it reminded him of crime scenes he had witnessed where the victim's bright red blood dripped down the walls. This was a murder scene. Only, this time—instead of being the detective—it was he himself who had died._

Near suddenly woke up in bed, crying and screaming, the nightmare plaguing him like no other had. Only, this time, it was worse. The first few times, it had just been the call. It would wake him up crying, but silently enough not to attract the attention of anybody. And now he remembered—Mello was dead. He was dead, their night together was all a dream, he was dead, dead, dead and there was nothing Near could do but continue to scream.

"Near!" Mello cried urgently, pulling the small boy into his arms, pressing their naked flesh against each other. "Near, what's wrong?? Near, Near, god, Near! Do you need the hospital? Are you in pain?"

Near screamed for another second before suddenly falling silent, his breathing erratic as he quickly flipped around to face the blonde, petite hands clawing at Mello's chest. He wasn't dead, he had survived, he was right there with him. However, as he looked up at the blonde man, he saw that he looked as though he was on the verge of tears as well. His eyes were wide and worried, but all Near could do was try to calm himself and regain face.

"I…I…Mello…" he whispered, looking up at the blonde with wide, tearstained eyes, his lips parted slightly. This sight caused Mello to lean down, softly pressing their lips together, entangling one hand in Near's hair, running the other up and down the small of his back.

"What happened, Fluffy?" the blonde asked softly, running his hands through Near's hair, moving his lips to the smaller boy's jawline, placing chaste kisses along the soft skin there. "What's…wrong?"

"I-It was simply a nightmare," Near murmured softly, his breathing evening out once again, becoming more normal and calm. He allowed Mello to continue to rub his back, their chests touching, his lips at his neck…it was so relaxing, so perfect, it was everything he had dreamed it would be.

Suddenly, the door to the bedroom flew open, Gevanni, Halle, and Rester bursting into the room with guns in hand, seeing Mello holding Near closely and springing into action. Halle ran forward and yanked Near from the blonde's arms, seeing how his eyes were closed so serenely—knowing Mello, he had probably drugged him or knocked him unconscious. Mello was then pinned on his stomach by Gevanni and Rester, a gun pressed to each temple, his every limb completely immobilized as the sound of two safeties on guns being flicked off echoed throughout the room.

"M-Mello, I thought you were dead!" Halle managed to stutter, Near simply looking at his men with his normal monotone expression, yanking on the curl that his thin index finger had managed to capture.

"Please release Mello," he said dully, ignoring the awkwardness of the situation due to the fact that both he and Mello were completely naked, and he was being held close to Halle's body, as though she was using her arms to shield the small boy from whatever harm Mello might be inclined to cause him. "Would Gevanni, Halle, or Rester consider explaining to me what it was that possessed them to suddenly burst into my room without knocking?"

"W-we heard you scream, sir!" Rester insisted, the lightest of pinks on his face as he realized that he was staring at his underage boss naked, and currently had his hand on Mello's exposed ass.

"I simply had a nightmare. Please release Mello immediately. I do not appreciate where Rester and Gevanni are touching him."

Not one of Near's three top agents had ever heard Near talk about something so possessively, and the stern look in their boss's eyes told them that he was not joking in the least. Mello still hadn't spoke up, but he didn't have much to say as Gevanni and Rester put the safety back on their guns and stood up off of the bed. However, as soon as the blonde saw how Gevanni eyed Near's naked body, the memories of what the petite boy had said came flooding back to him—Gevanni had not only taken Near's virginity, but he had also slept with him and _left_. He couldn't have even been bothered to support the small boy when they _both_ knew he needed it most.

Standing up out of the bed and only bothering to pull on Near's pajama pants before grabbing his gun off of the nightstand, Mello stormed over to Gevanni, who had his back turned. It wasn't until the click of the safety flicking off echoed throughout the room did anybody know what was going on.

Gevanni let out a small yelp as Mello slammed him up against the plain white wall of the room, his gun pressed to the flesh of the man's cheek, digging into the skin there. Everybody could see how badly he wanted to shoot, but only Mello and Near knew why—Gevanni still hadn't caught on to why he was being targeted out by the blonde.

"Mello…" Near said, warning in his voice. "Nothing will be gained out of shooting Gevanni…"

"I'll fucking shoot this bastard if I want to!" he roared, pulling the black-haired man a few inches away from the wall before slamming him up against the white plaster as hard as he could, anger absolutely dripping off of his every word. "And what'll be _gained_ is some fucking _satisfaction_!"

"Mello, w-what—"

"You _slept_ with him!" Mello yelled, the room falling dead silent, spare the pants of the blonde's hitched breathing. It was obvious that he was either about to cry, scream, or both. Near could only look at the both of them with hurt and betrayed eyes, silently begging Mello to stop the violence, not wanting either of them to get shot.

"Slept with fucking _who_?"

"FUCKING ARROGANT COCKY BASTARD!"

"Mello, stop immediately," demanded the petite boy, pulling away from Halle and Rester who were trying to hold him back. "If Mello is to shoot Gevanni, he would probably be shot by Rester or Halle. Would Mello really promise me that he is alive, only to die of stupidity?"

Mello was about to turn around and protest, but Near stopped him by wrapping his arms around the blonde's torso, softly pressing a kiss to his spine. Halle and Gevanni felt awkward watching this, Near still completely naked, and Mello only having Near's pajama pants on…which were, surprisingly, a bit baggy on him as well. However, what was probably the most awkward part of this was seeing Near as _affectionate_ as he was. It was as though he had suddenly become a different person, one who believed in soft kisses and intimate touches. Everything he had always said he stood against…what had Mello done to him? Was the blonde really the only one who could tear down those walls and beliefs the boy had put up, and tear them down so _easily_?

As he felt the small boy kiss his back, Mello lowered the arm that held his gun, putting the safety back on the weapon and turning so he was holding Near in his arms. As he tried to lean down and press a kiss to the small boy's lips, he only accepted a small, chaste brushing of their lips before turning his head slightly.

"Gevanni, Halle, and Rester may leave now," he murmured softly, his arms slowly slipping away from where they rested around Mello's waist a moment earlier, his bangs falling over his eyes as he stared at the floor. "It is no longer necessary for them to monitor the situation."

"I-Is Mello staying?" Halle asked, looking at the two of them, realizing what had gone on the night before.

"Only if he wishes to."

* * *

**End Note: **Jeez Mels, possessive much? Violence is only the answer in seme-on-seme fights for a cute little uke—

—oh. Well. Never mind.

~FragilePuzzle


	3. Kicking

**A/N: **Here's the next chapter…where the actual story starts. I hope you're not too mad at me for taking a while to write these chapters. xD But anyways, enjoy!

* * *

Near stared in the mirror. His hands found a place on his stomach, and his brow furrowed slightly. It looked as though he had gained a lot of weight as of recent, most of it collecting itself in his stomach, but some of it dispersing itself over the rest of his body. Come to think of it, he had been quite hungry lately—much more ravenous than usual, as though he were eating for two people, rather than just one.

He brought his eyes back up to meet his reflection, pondering over the last four months prior. He had managed to convince Mello to stay at the headquarters with him, and together with Gevanni, Halle, and Rester, the five had continued to solve petty cases that still weren't capable of gripping Near's attention—but they seemed so much better when he worked through the day, knowing that he would be able to lie in Mello's arms that night as he drifted to sleep.

He heard the door opening, and without bothering to turn around, he knew that it was the blonde. A small smile graced his face for the briefest of moments before a soft gasp passed his lips, feeling Mello's warm mouth at his neck, pressing gentle kisses there.

"Do you care if I join you, Fluffy?" he smiled softly, running his fingers through the small boy's fine curls, loving the way he would stiffen slightly as he was referred to by the nickname he pretended to hate, but secretly liked.

"Mello may do so if he wishes," Near said, his voice seeming abnormally loud in the silence of the room. The small boy was suddenly self-conscious about the weight he seemed to be gaining, but it didn't seem as though Mello noticed—and if he did, he didn't seem like he cared.

Mello ran his hands down Near's stomach, noticing the slight bulge there, whether he said anything about it to the boy or not. It felt like…no, that thought was fucking _ridiculous_. However, as the blonde man felt a slight nudge, one that felt like it came from underneath Near's skin itself, goosebumps traveled up his arms. He ran his hands over the small bump again, trying to be as casual as possible, moving his lips from the small boy's neck to his earlobe.

"I have gained weight, Mello," Near murmured, feeling the blonde run his hands up and down his stomach for the umpteenth time. "I lost over fourteen pounds during the time after Mello visited the SPK to the time he left…I suppose that I have gained them back."

"Does your stomach hurt?" asked the blonde, voice a little bit concerned as he gently pressed a hand against Near's stomach, palm flat. "It feels like something's wiggling around in there…maybe your intestines are upset or something. Do you want to go see the doctor?"

"No. I am feeling fine. If Mello believes I…look bad," he started, pausing before continuing. "I suppose it would not be very hard for me to lose—"

"Shut up," the blonde man laughed, nuzzling his face into the small boy's neck, softly nipping at the skin there. "Don't even think about it. You look cuter this way…just do me a favor? You gotta promise me something, alright? It's only one thing, and it's not too bad, so I'm sure you can manage."

"What is it that Mello would like me to do?"

"Don't get taller than me. I dunno if I could handle that," he whispered, smiling against Near's neck, pressing their now-naked bodies against each other. "You promise?"

"Yes, I believe I can promise that," Near agreed, feeling Mello urge them towards the shower. It wasn't until the blonde turned on the warm water, allowing it to wash over their bare skin did something strike the small boy. His eyes widened, but he did not speak. Not yet…Mello would think he was ridiculous for even suggesting it. But he remembered the conversation his doctor had with him all of those years ago, when he had first come into Wammy's. He was given all of the medical testing a child his age was supposed to have, plus quite a few more—and the doctors found something apparently extremely rare.

"_Nate has what is commonly known as Xx male syndrome. It is when the affected individual appears as a normal male, but has a female genotype."_

"_What does that mean?" Watari asked, feeling the small boy grip on to his old and wrinkled hand with both of his petite ones, seeming to tug on it slightly, as though he was lonely and wanted attention._

"_It means that he does have the chance to become pregnant, but there is a very low chance it will happen. Most Xx males are sterile, and even if they do manage to become pregnant, most children are born dead, or are miscarriages. It's very difficult for a male to carry a child, even with the Xx genotype."_

"Near…what's wrong?" Mello whispered, cupping the small boy's cheek in his hand, pressing his lips to the other side. "I don't like it when you have that look on your face…Nate."

"Mihael…I…believe that I…" started the white-haired boy, his voice hoarse as he looked at the blonde with large eyes. "I believe that I have something I have kept from Mihael…something very important. I will understand if he is temporarily angry or upset with me, but I believe that now is as good a time as ever to tell him."

"What's wrong?"

Near could feel Mello pull him slightly closer, pressing their stomachs and torsos together, the hot water dripping out of the showerhead at a steady pace coating their skin in warmth. It felt like he was destroying the tranquility at a peaceful shrine as he parted his pale lips to speak.

"I believe that I am pregnant," he said slowly, watching as the first domino fell. It was, as usual, him who clicked the plain, flesh-tone of his hard nail against the black, shimmering surface of the toy, triggering the chain reaction that followed. Maybe Mello was the unlucky domino who was behind the first one. Or maybe he was the domino at the very end, the one that was most likely to be the least affected. Those were the ones that usually escaped unscathed, thanks to his carelessness in setting them up. It would make sense. He had been sloppy and rushed the past four months.

"Fluffy, that's ridiculous," Mello insisted, touching a hand to Near's stomach once again. He pressed against it just slightly, and almost instantly, he felt something push back against him. It was jabbing in motion, almost as though it were kicking. But that was…it didn't make any sense. Near couldn't be pregnant, because the last time the blonde checked, Near was a _guy_ for chrissakes, and—unless google had lied to him—_guys couldn't get pregnant._ You see, when becoming fertile, it was usually quite handy to possess those same organs and intestines or whatever the hell they were that got you fucking pregnant in the first place. And Near was a guy. He had a fucking dick; Mello was _touching it_ as they spoke.

"I have Xx male syndrome. It is when the affected individual appears as a normal male, but has a female genotype that somehow allows them to become pregnant," whispered the small boy, repeating exactly what the doctor had told him that day. "The doctors told me about this when I was little. I did not think it meant this could happen. Getting pregnant shouldn't happen even with Xx male syndrome, but...I suppose that I happen to be the exception. I am not sure if that is exactly the case, however, I—"

"Whose is it?" whispered Mello, his blue eyes staring at Near's slightly rounded stomach, an unreadable expression on his face. His voice was more monotone than usual as well, and Near wondered if he should have kept this a secret from the blonde until he had gathered more information.

"I am…not sure."

* * *

**End Note: **Dramaaaa! : D Hope you guys are lookin' forward to the next chapter, cause it's coming soon!

~FragilePuzzle


	4. Conflict

**A/N: **I feel like this is some kind of cheesy drama you see on a weekday afternoon. Like…the ones with the terrible actors…and all of the women always get pregnant and never know whose child it is…but still, at least Near can take an educated guess, right? But I digress.

Sorry for the long wait! Now, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

"You're…not sure," he repeated, pressing his hand back against the boy's stomach, slightly harder this time. "I mean…it's probably mine, though, right? Because…if it were…_his_…"

The way Mello spoke the word 'his' drove shivers up Near's spine, causing his eyes to close slightly, opening them as he felt Mello's hand press even harder. It was like he was trying to feel the baby; to somehow be able to tell if it was his from touching Near's stomach.

"If it were his, you would have noticed you were…pregnant, if that's really what's happening here…you would have noticed sooner, right Fluffy?"

Near felt Mello press harder, and it finally started to hurt—he could feel the baby squirming around to the best of its abilities, probably not having much muscle yet—but it seemed as though it was trying to get away from Mello's hand, as though the blonde was pressing hard enough to hurt it…and maybe he was.

"M-Mello, please stop pressing so hard…" he said, taking a step back and finally breaking the blonde's entranced eyes away from his stomach, drawing them back up to his face. "I do not know whose it is because I slept with Gevanni only a few weeks before I slept with Mello, and I do not know how many months pregnant I am—if that is the case."

Mello suddenly turned the shower off, wringing out his hair before violently throwing open the shower curtain, stepping out, warm water droplets still running down his body. The smaller of the two hesitated before softly pressing his hand to the blonde's back, and he could literally _feel_ him shaking with anger. However, as soon as the blonde felt that Near was touching him, he turned around and smacked his hand away, wrapping his towel around his waist and storming out of the bathroom.

The white-haired boy stood for a few moments, petite frame gently allowing itself to become dominated by goosebumps, and he finally stepped out of the shower and grabbed the fluffy towel that was sitting on the counter of the sink. He wrapped the material around his shoulders, feeling it begin to warm him up, absorbing the liquids that doused his skin. Shaking his head, he dried off a bit before walking over to the door, opening it and trying to find Mello. Maybe he should have waited.

---x---

The blonde was in the bedroom, pulling on a pair of gray jogging pants, the stretchy material clinging to his perfectly toned frame. He had hardly bothered to dry off, so there were water spatters decorating the material of his wife-beater tank as he yanked it over his head. As he sat down on the edge of the bed, obviously at the edge of his patience and his ideas of what to do as well, his hair continued to drip, the pitter-patter noise driving him absolutely insane. Under any normal circumstance, he probably wouldn't have even heard it, let alone allow it to bother him…but this was no normal circumstance. His head spun with unanswered questions—was Near really pregnant? If he was, whose child was it? If it _was_ his, did he even really…want it?

"I'll shoot him," he murmured, fists clenching on to handfuls of blonde locks, his nails digging into his scalp. "I'll fucking shoot him…he…fuck…"

Closing his eyes as tight as he could muster, Mello tried not to let his emotions get the better of him, even though that was always his number-one weakness. He shouldn't even want it to be his child. He wasn't ready to be a father. If it was Gevanni's, he could just be there to help Near when he needed it, and _he_ could be the _real_ father.

No. No. The thought of Near happily sitting on a couch with Gevanni's arm around him, their little baby in Near's arms…it was too much to bear, and just knowing the fact that it _could _happen was enough to drive the blonde over the edge. He stood up, angrily grabbing his gun, wanting to solve things in the only way he knew how—violently. He wanted to hit something _badly_, and for once, it didn't seem as though just anything would satisfy his want…this deep lust hidden inside of him, those urges he got that--to be honest--even scared him at times.

Just because they scared him didn't mean he could control them, however. The blonde didn't even bother to grab his gun before he got up, his lips twisted down into a slightly menacing frown that looked as though he would be ready to snarl and bite any minute. He ran past the bathroom where he was showering with Near a few moments earlier, and as he traveled down the next corridor, his pace increased--as though he were trying to escape something that was close behind him. It continued to speed up with every step he took, finally breaking into a run as he reached the corridor that led into the main room of headquarters.

There, he saw _him_. He was sitting at a computer, headphones resting around his neck as he talked to Near. The small boy only had a pair of white boyshort underwear on and his normal, baggy white pajama top, causing Mello to lightly twitch as he thought of Gevanni eyeing him with the same look a hungry wolf gives to a defenseless lamb. A pair of pristine white socks also adorned his feet, and Mello could see that his hair was still dripping wet, though he was twirling a lock of it around his finger anyways. As the two of them heard the blonde's entrance, Gevanni merely looked away from the newcomer, Near looking straight towards him.

"I believe the three of us should have a small meeting," he murmured, looking up at Mello as he approached the two of them, the blonde's blue eyes finally catching sight of the small bump that was visible through his pajama shirt.

Gevanni turned to Mello this time, looking at him with an expression that showed anything but sadness, pity, or remorse. Mello's eyes widened angrily as he watched the black-haired man press a hand to Near's stomach, sudden rage coursing through his veins as he watched the small boy stiffen up. Unable to control himself, he took a few steps forward and grabbed on to the front of Gevanni's shirt, his breathing heavy as he pushed him back in his chair.

"Don't touch him," he hissed through clenched teeth, closing his eyes and trying to even his breath. As he pulled away, curling and uncurling his fingers, he looked over to Near, seeing the tiny bit of fear that had manifested itself on the white-haired boy's face. God, Near was _scared_ of him.

Mello hesitated for another second, trying to calm himself.

"S-sorry," the blonde muttered, turning his eyes away from the both of them.

"It is quite alright--"

"No, Nate, it's not…this is exactly what I don't want my child exposed to. That's why I'm insisting that, if it is mine, you don't let it anywhere near Mello. His senseless violence will only teach the child bad habits."

"Gevanni, please--"

"He's right."

Both men turned to look at Mello, the blonde's hair falling around his face. He was shaking with so much pent-up violence and anger, but he refused to let it get the best of him. No, he couldn't let that monster out. He had to learn to control it before he could ever be a good father. He had to keep himself under control, no matter how much he wanted to bash Gevanni's head in with his bare hands and rip him apart and splatter him on the pavement.

God, he couldn't stop the thoughts.

"Near should…take care of the baby…" he said, his fists clenching, the nails digging into the soft flesh of his palm. "I-I can't handle it…u-until I can learn h-how to control myself more."

"That's right--"

"No, it is not," Near interrupted the both of them, resting his hands over his stomach. "It is my child. I am carrying it. I believe that I should be the final decision maker, no matter who the father of this child may be. Mello is much more suitable father than Gevanni is, therefore it is my decision to allow the child to be 'exposed' to him."

This statement caused both men to look over to Near, Mello with wide eyes and Gevanni with disbelieving ones. Near…thought he would be a good father?

"Nate, that is absolutely--"

"Mello is much more suited to be a father than Gevanni because he will love the child…and myself," Near said, his voice much softer as he looked over to the blonde, all traces of his fear gone.

"I love you--"

"You don't," Mello interrupted, looking at him with icy blue eyes that were hard and serious. "When he needed you, you weren't there--don't pretend that you love him. Just get out of his life."

The blonde could feel more anger rising in his chest, and the harder he tried to keep it safely bottled, the more it seemed to bubble up.

"I was always there for Nate--"

"Shut up!" the blonde screamed suddenly, shoving Gevanni out of his chair, hearing the black-haired agent gasp in surprise. Tears bubbled in the corners of his blue eyes as he went to punch the man, suddenly being restrained by a strong arm. He barely had time to turn around before he spotted Rester behind him, and he was yanked to his feet, pulled off of the other man before being hauled backwards a few steps. He weakly screamed a few curses as he watched Gevanni eye Near's tightly-covered groin before the man stood up off of the floor, brushing himself off and acting as though he hadn't just been shying away from Mello like the pussy he was.

"Nate, this is just what I'm talking about. Do you really think that having him around would make for a suitable environment to raise a child in? Especially our child…"

"I-It's not yours!" Mello cried, trying to struggle out of Rester's firm grasp, his arms being further twisted back the more he struggled. Near came over towards him, gently placing a hand on the blonde's cheek and a kiss on his lips, attempting to calm the crying and screaming man--his emotions finally being let out…though, like many things that are bottled up too tightly with too much substance in them for too long; they exploded and they refused to get back under control.

"Mihael," whispered the small boy, his lips barely an inch away from Mello's ear. "Please calm down…"

But Mello refused to, only repeating that the baby couldn't be Gevanni's as Rester was forced to drag the blonde out of the room to restrain him from doing any damage to anybody or anything--leaving Near, Halle, and Gevanni staring at the door with slightly varying expressions on their face.

"_Good morning sweetie…"_

_Lightly touching the small bump_

_My life is in yours._

* * *

**End Note: **Haha, Gevanni is such a bastard in this story. : ' D Sorry, but I always have to have a bad guy/bastard in each story. O . o And Gevanni is the lucky boy in this one. Anyways, don't forget to leave a review! I love youuu~

~FragilePuzzle


	5. Cravings

**A/N: **Wah. ; _ ; I wish I could write a better Near. XD But I guess my writing only reflects who I spend all of my time RPing as. I really don't understand Near's character, though I'd like to. But then again, I guess that was Mello's problem as well, canonically. Fooey to you, Near. S'damn complicated.

* * *

Near woke up as he usually did, softly rubbing his eyes, looking over to the calendar. It was June already--today being the first day of the summer month. Great. Just what he wanted. Sweaty weather.

Sitting up in bed, feeling the bump on his stomach, he raised a hand and began to twist a curl around a thin finger before yawning softly, blinking against the bright light. Jesus, who had turned on the light…and why the hell was it so bright so early in the morning?

Something that bothered the small boy much more than gaining weight or the argument over whose child he was carrying was how _emotional_ he felt lately. The first two things couldn't be helped, but even with Mello around, he never expected he would be this emotional. And the worst part was, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to get the raging feelings under control. He would say it was an unfamiliar feeling, but that would be a major understatement.

Looking around, Near saw that Mello was sleeping in a small armchair over towards the corner of the room, a book open in his lap as he lightly nodded his head.

Standing out of bed, stripping himself of his clothes before pulling out a matching pair from the nearby dresser, Near decided that he was going to have to try much harder to appear as emotionless as possible. That way, everybody would stop their silly worrying about how 'strange,' he was acting.

Near wandered across the room, one of his hands folded over his stomach--as it had taken a habit to doing lately--and plucked the book off of Mello's lap. Looking it over for a moment, he realized that it was a book about pregnancy, and a soft smile crossed his face as he moved his eyes to the sleeping blonde. He must have stayed up late reading it, and fallen asleep without even getting up and lying down in the bed.

As the small boy moved to get him a blanket to cover his sleeping frame with, he was reminded of the numerous times he had found the blonde in the library of Wammy's--just like this. Though, usually the book wasn't about pregnancy, but one of Shakespeare's lesser-known works, or something on Calculus.

Sighing, Near began to yank on a curl as his eyes roamed the blonde. Jesus. Feelings were bubbling in his chest, and at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to curl up in Mello's lap and cling to him and cry and…eat strawberries. Strawberries sounded good--which was strange as well. Usually, Near had no preference towards the food he ate. It all tasted the same. Speaking of food…pickles and cream cheese sounded good too. And maybe cherry pie with whipped cream or white chocolate with peanut butter.

Ew.

Normally, Near wouldn't consider eating any of those things. They were terribly bad for you, except for the strawberries, but now it was as though his stomach was screaming for them. He didn't just want them, it was like he _needed _them.

Wandering down to the kitchen, the small boy opened the fridge. He found that there was, in fact, a lot of food in that miraculous white preserver. There were strawberries and whipped cream and pickles and cream cheese and peanut butter. However, Near decided that a piece of warm cherry pie would be best now. Mm, covered with whipped cream…absolutely overflowing with empty calories and fat and all sorts of things he didn't need. But oh well. It sounded hella good.

Pulling out a plate, the petite boy quickly grabbed a large piece of pie, walking over to the microwave and feeling a small kick and a wiggle in his stomach. It seemed as though the baby was quite feisty.

As he set the timer and allowed the microwave to turn on, he was suddenly interrupted by a loud crash. It wasn't until a moment later that he realized the crash was the microwave being shoved off the counter by Mello, the machine landing and shattering into pieces. Well, there went his chances of having warm pie.

"May I ask why Mello…felt inclined to shove the microwave off of the counter?" Near murmured, raising a hand and beginning to tug on a curl, trying to remember how he used to act--monotone and serious, not some kind of giddy, smiling, pie-eating genius.

"Microwaves are bad for babies," was his prompt response, urging his own body between Near's and the shattered remains of the microwave, as though he needed to protect the small boy and the baby from any harm that might bestow him. However, all Near could seem to think about was that fucking pie. It was then that he realized he wasn't even hungry--and now pie sounded disgusting. But white chocolate sounded good.

"The radiation can really hurt the baby, especially when it's so little--"

"Does Mello have any white chocolate?" Near interrupted, his hand falling from the curl it had previously captured, an attempt at a dull expression on his face as he softly rested his head against Mello's chest.

"Erm…no…I don't like white chocolate. Besides, should you really be eating something so bad for you? Have you taken your vitamins and stuff? Are you feeling okay? You know, we really need to schedule you an appointment with a doctor. Do you want me to do that for you?"

Near was about to respond when Gevanni walked into the kitchen, holding up his little PDA or Blackberry or whatever it was. Anger immediately pushed against Mello's lips, begging for him to release it in a snarky comment or a string of muttered swears, but he managed to get it under control, only pulling the small boy in his arms a bit closer.

"Already done. I can't believe you didn't think of that earlier."

Now, Gevanni wasn't even attempting to hide his dislike of the situation--especially his dislike the blonde himself. This infuriated Mello beyond belief, because he knew the last thing Near needed was more stress.

"I'm sorry that I was busy focusing on Near," he growled, holding the boy to his chest in a sort of death grip now, wanting to take him somewhere that was far, far away from anywhere this black-haired bastard would or could ever find him.

"It's scheduled three weeks from now. That's on June twenty-first."

"I know math, thanks."

"I didn't know if you could figure it out."

Mello wanted nothing more than to run over to that fucker and beat him into a bloody pulp, but he could imagine that triumphant smile gracing the agent's face as Gevanni realized he had gotten to him. He'd smile because he'd realize that Near was scared of him and his anger. He'd smile because he'd realize he knew exactly how to get under his skin. So, no matter how much Mello wanted to, he made himself swear on the middle Mary of the rosary that he always wore around his neck that he would not do anything stupid. That was, until Gevanni provoked him with another taunt.

"It just doesn't seem like Wammy's taught you much else. Especially not how to act like a grown adult."

"Mello, do no--"

Instead of rushing towards the man like he wanted to, Mello only let go of Near, turned on his heel, and walked out of the room. His barely bothered to pick up his feet as he made his way down the hallways of the large, hollow SPK building, going back to the bedroom he shared with Near.

When he arrived there, he immediately went to a nightstand that had a phone resting on it, yanking open the drawer and pulling out a phone book. Flipping through the pages, he found the alphabetized businesses, looking for the 'A's. It was a few minutes before he found them, and just as he did, he heard a small, timid knock on the doorframe.

"You don't have to knock," he muttered, his voice strained somewhat. "It's your room too."

"Is Mello upset with me?"

"No."

"Is he…sure? He does not have to lie if he is."

"I'm upset with that bastard."

"Gevanni?"

"No shit."

There was silence for a few moments, Near quietly taking a few more steps into the room. The small boy shut the door behind him, his finger pressing in the thumb-turn latch and locking the entrance, keeping out anybody that might want to disturb their time together.

"…sorry for snapping at you," the blonde said, running a finger down the phone directory, the fingers on his free hand flexing a few times before he ran them through his golden locks.

"It is alright."

Near wrung out his hands before moving one to his head of soft hair, wrapping a few strands of a curl around his finger, beginning to twirl it as he spoke. For some reason, this action demanded Mello's attention, and he turned his blue eyes up to face Near more fully--instead of looking at him from underneath a veil of bangs.

"Would Mello tell me if I upset him?" Near asked, his eyes unwavering. "Now just relating to the incident now, but pertaining to any sort of points in the future?"

Have I ever had any problem showing you in the past?" chuckled the blonde, eyes slightly sad as he remembered how many times he had beaten the small boy to a pulp after he angered him. "I promise I'll tell you, but I really doubt that _you'd_ be the one to upset me."

"…would Mello ever…leave me?"

Mello stood up at this, setting the phone book down on the bed and walking over to Near. He stared at the small boy with a hard expression in his eyes, blinking a few times before shaking his head slowly, as though it would convey the seriousness of his message.

"Never, Near. I'd never leave you."

Near suddenly felt the need to spill his heart out to the blonde--to tell him the very thought that had been nagging at the back of his mind ever since he was only four tender years old, and a teeny little orphan at some scary house for geniuses where he would soon bid his childhood goodbye.

"But Mello has. Four times."

The blonde's eyes wavered for a moment, and he felt between an emotion of sadness and one of anger. Was Near really going to bring his past mistakes into this?

"Near, I-I'm sorry, I swear to God--"

"I am not asking for an apology, I merely wish to speak about it."

Mello quieted himself, running his hands through his hair once again as he looked down at the petite boy, nearly pulling him into a hug--but stopping when he eyed his stance, deciding that now might not be the best time. He looked hard and analytical once again…and just when Mello thought that side of Near was gone for good. Just when he thought that maybe it would only be Nate that showed himself when they were alone. That maybe he had worked hard enough to tear down already-crumbling walls.

"When I was four," he started, his hand falling from his curl, gray eyes affixed to blue. "Mello left me to be friends with Matt. He never spoke to me again, unless it was an insult, a threat, or a promise to beat me. When I was thirteen, Mello left the orphanage. I did not see him again until he visited the SPK. He only came to get his photo back. Some part of me hoped that he was coming back to stay and work with me. But he proved me wrong, as usual. He left again. When he 'died.' He left me for the fourth time. This time, I believed it was for good."

"Near…please leave. I don't want you anymore," Mello said, leaning down and softly pressing his forehead against Near's. "You're not needed."

"W-what…?"

"Nate doesn't need you anymore. Wammy's doesn't need you. Mello doesn't need you."

"What is Mello--"

"Near and Mello were rivals. Near was an emotionless little robot hell-bent on being number one, and Mello was a retarded little fuck-up. But Mihael is here with Nate, right now. And he's never going to leave. He's going to…get his anger under control. _He's_ hell-bent on being a good father."

Near's eyes widened slightly as he felt Mello grab on to his chin in between his thumb and forefinger, tilting his head up slightly, making it so he couldn't possibly break eye contact in shyness or embarrassment.

"Maybe Nate and Mihael don't show themselves to the world. But that's fine. When they're alone, they're safe…they don't have to be angry or be rivals or be emotionless. They can just be together."

"Nate thinks…that is a good idea. Near thinks Nate is quite an idiot and that he should not be led by emotions, but Nate is ignoring Near," whispered the small boy, pressing his lips to the blonde's. "But Nate insists…that he belongs to Mihael, and is only…showing himself without fear when he is alone with Mihael."

"Mihael thinks that's fine."

"Mihael is in my debt."

"From Nate or from Near?"

"…I believe they both feel the same, for once. But Near would like to make a notation about this circumstance. One he finds particularly strange."

"And what does Near wanna notice about this situation?" asked the blonde, a small smile on his face as he pulled the petite boy closer, moving his lips to the top of his head of silky curls.

"The time in which he is dying is the saddest, while also being the happiest."

* * *

**End Note: **Aw. Poor Nearykins has an abandonment complex, because he's been ditched by Mello so many times. ; _ ; I love making Near have an abandonment complex in my stories. XD I'm terrible.

~FragilePuzzle


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